


Ode to Crappy Exes

by moonwillow27458



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Prison, Attempted Murder, Caring Ruby, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Past Anna Milton/Mary Winchester, Past Ruby/Lilith, References to Drugs, Unhealthy Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-16
Updated: 2019-01-16
Packaged: 2019-10-11 01:42:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17437496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonwillow27458/pseuds/moonwillow27458
Summary: Ruby's ex-girlfriend is conspiring against her. That's the only reason why she ends up in Lebannon Minimum Security Prison. She knows how to handle herself in places like this, but what she doesn't know how to handle is the Ice Queen that she's roomed with. She vows to somehow melt Anna Milton's hard exterior.





	Ode to Crappy Exes

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the [spnsafficchallenge](https://spnsafficchallenge.tumblr.com) on tumblr.
> 
> It's unbeta'd and I wrote the bulk of it between 2-4am, so forgive me for my mistakes!

Ruby couldn't say she was happy to be entering Lebannon Minimum Security Prison. She'd been sold out by her ex. Maybe they'd ended on bad terms, but sending her to jail? It was low, even for Lilith. 

She'd spent time in juvie as a kid, but it had been nothing like Lebannon. There were electrified fences all around the building, Ruby could hear them humming as the guard walked her forward. A girl with dark curly hair walked beside her, and she looked more nervous than Ruby felt. As they were shoved into the back of the van, Ruby placed a hand on her knee. The girl jumped, but she didn't shy away away from her. They huddled together as the guard locked them in.

"Don't look so nervous," a voice came from the cab. Another woman appeared from the driver's seat, not a guard but a prisoner. She looked too happy to be wearing a prison uniform. "It's not so bad when you get in there."

"I'm not nervous," the young girl beside Ruby lied. Ruby snorted loudly and she didn't even feel guilty. The girl glared at her.

"Look, I'm not saying I'm not nervous but hun..."

The girl couldn't have been any older than eighteen, but the way she pouted made her look like a child. Ruby almost felt sorry for her, but the kid had to have done something to end up in jail. Once they got through the gate, they were all the same. Ruby wasn't going to pretend any different. The girl moved away from Ruby, shuffling to the other side of the bench seat. 

The guard opened the door and climbed into the cab, letting the redhead drive them off.

When they got to the prison, they were greeted by more guards. They had to go through the cough and drop routine, Ruby was kinda used to it but the young girl next to her was swallowing back tears. The shower, delousing powder, the medical, it was all humiliating as Hell. The guards probably did it on purpose, laughed about it to themselves later. In the end she was handed a bright orange jumpsuit and shoved into a holding cell.

The girl, Kaia she had learned, was put on the bunk under her. They were the only company each of them had, with the bunk across from them empty. In a few hours, or days, they'd be taken to their cells. Better than that, dinner was in an hour which would make up for the delousing.

"Hey, Kid, you looking forward to food?" Ruby asked. Kaia glared at her. She was nothing but skin and bone, her uniform swamping her.

"I'm not hungry," Kaia mumbled.

"Well, I guess more french fries for me then."

"You really think they're going to serve us french fries?" Kaia snorted. "They don't even give good food to school children, why would they bother feeding us properly." She was pacing around the room, wearing track in the floor. There wasn't much scenery in their little room, but she didn't seem content unless she managed to see all of it.

"You gotta calm yourself," Ruby said. Damn she wouldn't last if she was stressing herself so much. Ruby slipped from her bed on the top bunk so she was stood beside Kaia. The girl seemed hesitant, but leaned into Ruby. "What are you doing here kid?"

"Wrong place, wrong time."

If Ruby's heart didn't break she might not have been human. She knew what cops were like, pinning shit on people who didn't deserve it. Kaia was the poster girl for suspected criminal. She hugged Kaia tight, held her close like her own child.

"Don't worry, I'll look out for you," Ruby promised.

When it was time for dinner, they were escorted to the dining hall. The rest of the inmates were watching them with cat like reflexes, though the seemed curious more than anything. Kaia tugged at her sleeves. Ruby shot back a glare at them all for making Kaia feel uncomfortable, but none of them seemed so bothered. Especially not the perky red head that had driven them in that morning.

"You look a bit lost," she smiled. God she was way too perky. "You wanna sit with us?"

Ruby glanced at who _us_ were, the most mismatched group of girls she'd ever seen. Still, they looked friendly enough and didn't mind Ruby and Kaia joining them. They took a seat at the table.

"I'm Charlie," the redhead grinned. The girl beside her rolled her eyes but still held Charlie's hand tight. "This is Bela, my bitch." Bela tilted her head, Ruby hadn't seen someone look so surprised and offended in her entire life. The pressure at her side increased as Kaia pressed herself closer to her. Charlie and Bela were having some sort of argument, not entirely serious but loud. The other women around the table ignored them both, so it had probably happened more than once.

The dining hall was emptier than Ruby expected. She thought the prison would be overflowing with how many people the cops tried to cram in them, but beside their own table there was one in the back corner that was full and a few other prisoners dotted about. There were so many free seats. Particularly around one woman, another red head but she kept her head down. Ruby couldn't help but stare - there was something about her.

"What you in for?" An older woman asked. Her hair was greying and there were wrinkles around her eyes, but she seemed nice enough. Motherly.

"My ex girlfriend called the cops on me for smuggling drugs," Ruby shrugged. "She didn't mention that it was her operation and I was only doing what she wanted me to, but whatever." She wasn't bitter about Lilith, not at all. Her fingers were twitching and she had to get up and do something.

She said nothing as she stood up and headed for the rec room. Not even Kaia followed her, although she could feel all their eyes on the back of her head.

Even eyes down red head glanced up as Ruby passed.

 

"Cortese, Nieves, get up."

There was a guy rattling the bars to their cell. He had an obnoxious look on his face, almost smiling as he watched the girls roll out of bed. The sky outside was still dark and the only light around was the fluorescent beam from the corridor. Ruby blinked at the guy, while Kaia hurried to get up.

"It's moving day, gather your things and go."

Neither of them had much to take with them, their commissaries hadn't come through yet so nothing was really theirs. They had the uniforms on their backs, a few spare clothes, nothing more. Ruby doubted Kaia would get anything anyway. It didn't look like the kid had any family. Ruby was lucky that her old friend Sam was enough of a sap to send her through some money. At least she'd have something.

They followed the obnoxious guard down the corridor and to the bunks. He stopped first halting Ruby, then Kaia. Her plimsolls squeaked on the floor as the guard pushed her down the line of beds. Most of the other girls were still asleep, but a few woke up when they heard Kaia. 

"Welcome to the ghetto, Nieves," the guard grinned. Ruby started following her, but Smiley held her back. "Not you, Cortese, you're this way." 

The fear in Kaia's eyes as Ruby was dragged away was that of a child left to a pack of wolves. There were silent tears rolling down her face and Ruby wanted to punch the guard. Someone needed to look out for that girl. Ruby was thankful when a women her own age with dark skin and wild hair took hold of Kaia's hand, held her close. Kaia sobbing onto the mystery woman's shoulder was the last thing Ruby saw before she was pulled down through another doorway.

The guard pointed to one of the rooms, well not quite a room but the walls were high enough. He was rough with her as he pushed her through the narrow entrance. Probably left a hand shaped bruise, and God wasn't it a while since she'd had one of them. It was just a shame she was a raging lesbian, maybe her and Smiley could have got along.

Ruby dumped her clothes on the free bed, sat down after them. The woman across from her was the loner red head from the canteen. _Great._

"Stay on your side of the room."

"Don't you even want to know my name?" Ruby asked. The girl didn't even open her eyes, laid like she was sleeping - or dead. "Well, I'm Ruby. I don't suppose you'll be getting out any time soon?" Her eyes flew open, she had the most piercing stare.

"Not a chance, I'm in here for the long haul," she replied. "And around here, we use last names. Mine's Milton. Lose the cutesy attitude or someone will beat it out of you."

Wow, Ruby was not expecting that. Milton looked so angelic and peaceful, but her tongue cut like a knife. Like Ruby's used to, before she had to make everything into a joke. Milton had closed her eyes again, trying to sleep or maybe just shut Ruby out. Who even knew anymore? It was gonna be a lonely two years.

 

"What's the deal with the loner?"

Ruby had taken to eating with Charlie and her girlfriend every day. There was a couple of others who sat with them regularly; Jody, who everyone called Mama Bear, Meg, who was more sarcastic than even Ruby, and Jo, who was kinda quiet but Jody loved a lot. They were the most dysfunctional gang of people Ruby had ever met, but they were nicer than fucking Lilith so that was a plus.

And hey, Kaia was getting along great with her bunk buddy. Cassie Robinson had formally introduced herself and promised to look after Kaia like she had done with the others. Wrong place wrong time seemed to be the motto for the ghetto. 

Then there was Milton, who hadn't so much as looked at Ruby the entire time they'd been sharing a room. She sat alone every meal, and God only knows where she went during rec time.

"Who, Anna?" Jody asked. She sent a cursory glance in Milton's direction. Anna Milton, Christ didn't she just sound so middle class. Almost as if she could feel them staring, Anna glanced up at them, her blue eyes still icy and cold. Jody didn't appear the slightest bit guilty. "No one knows really, she doesn't talk to any of us. I tried but, she doesn't really like my cooking so why would I try?"

Sometimes, Jody really did not give a fuck and Ruby admired her for it.

"She's in for killing a guy, that's all we know," Charlie chimed in. Well, Ruby could understand killing a guy. The amount of times she nearly killed Lilith's dick of a boss. Everyone called him Lucifer, and it wasn't hard to understand why.

"Babe, we don't know that," Bela stroked her arm. "I doubt she's in here for much - she's not really the violent type, is she?"

"Look at us, how many of us are actually the violent type?" Charlie asked. She was right, most of the people she'd met were in on drug charges. None of them had it in them to be violent, and Ruby cringed at the days when she used to be. The amount of people she'd hurt because Lilith had asked her to. She was a fucking idiot. 

The table went quiet. Best way to bum out a bunch of prisoners? Just ask them about their crimes.

"There's something about her..." Ruby was still staring at Anna, couldn't help herself. No one paid attention, but she wasn't gonna give up easily. Ruby would make Anna talk to her, or Anna could fight her, rip her apart. She was just so fucking bored.

 

Ruby got up extra early, rushed down her breakfast so she could see where Anna went during her days. Unsurprisingly, they ended up in the library. Ruby didn't even know the prison had a library, not that she was complaining. Maybe she could get her GED while she was in there. That was all off topic though, for now she had to focus on Anna.

Ruby pulled out the chair opposite her, sat down and leaned on the table. Anna sighed.

"What do you want?"

"Why won't you talk to me," Ruby asked. Even from behind the book, she could feel Anna's eye roll. Ruby snatched the book, _Alice's Adventures in Wonderland_ , out of her dainty fingers. "Why won't you talk to any of us? We won't bite, you know."

"Yeah, but I might," Anna said. The pulled the book back but didn't open it up again, which Ruby saw as progress.

"Okay, so you killed a guy," Ruby shrugged. "Who'd blame you, men are awful. Doesn't mean you need to cut yourself off from the rest of society forever."

"I didn't kill a guy, I nearly killed a guy," Anna replied. That was unexpected. Ruby half thought Charlie had been lying about whatever rumours were flying about, but for her to straight up admit it was pretty hardcore. Anna must have take Ruby's stunned silence as a cue to continue. "I was young, and stupid, and there was this girl..."

Ruby had to laugh. There's _always_ a girl.

"There was this girl, Mary. I knew her husband wasn't treating her right, she came into work with bruises and she'd laugh them off but her smile. There was nothing behind it. I'd watched her go from my cool, vibrant, best friend, to someone so quiet I could barely recognise her. And it was his doing, John's. So when she finally got the courage to leave him, and he started threatening her, I had to do something. 

"As far as I know, he's out of hospital, out of prison, doing well with his life. And Mary went back to him. And I'm stuck in here, down my freedom, down the love of my life, and down one family for outing myself during the trial."

"Damn, that's some heavy shit." What could Ruby possibly say to comfort her? Anna glared at her, but it was a little warmer than usual.

"Okay, so now you have my tragic backstory, will you leave me alone?"

"You think that's tragic? Anna, you're a hero," Ruby frowned. "I don't care if Mary couldn't see it, or even if you can't, but you know how many people would risk their lives for someone? Not many, I'll tell you that. People are entirely selfish, be proud that you're not them."

Anna paused for a moment. It was like she couldn't meet Ruby's eye, like she was ashamed of who she was. Ruby's heart broke; Anna deserved better.

"So you're in here because of someone else?"

"Oh yeah, my ex-girlfriend ratted me out to the pigs," Ruby laughed. She was feeling less bitter about it by the day, but God she still wanted to strangle Lilith sometimes. "Told them I was smuggling drugs, didn't say I was doing it for her but you know - whatever's convenient."

There was a hand on her arm, a touch so light it could have been a ghost. She looked across and saw Anna's arm reached between them. Her nails were painted a pretty shade of pink, and all Ruby could think about was how short they were. Mind out of the gutter, Ruby. But the touch felt electric and Ruby couldn't think of much else beyond Anna.

"Here's to crappy ex-girlfriends, right?" Anna smiled. An honest to God smile on the ice queen.

"Here's hoping for better ones soon," Ruby added. Anna's grip on her arm tightened just a little bit, and Ruby hadn't felt hope like it in a long time.

 

Things were easier with Anna talking to her. Sure, they still spent meals and most of their rec time separately, but Anna was helping Ruby muddle through her GED. Once a week they'd meet in the library and they'd run through things Ruby thought she knew. Anna was kind about it though, never once making fun of her for getting things wrong. 

The nights though, the nights were the best.

In there little room with half walls, they could be themselves in a way they couldn't share with anyone else. Ruby dropped her carefully constructed class clown persona, and Anna melted a little more with every night. They spoke in hushed whispers, but it didn't matter. They could speak in only gestures and it seemed the other would understand.

When Anna came to bed, her face a screwed up mess of tears, Ruby was ready to go on the warpath. But she was trying to change, so she hugged her friend and asked her what was wrong.

"It's Mary," Anna whispered. "She wants to come visit."

Ruby spiralled. There was no way that Mary wasn't coming to get back together with Anna. And Anna was probably still in love with her. So where did that put Ruby, and their half flirting, the longing touches between them. Bile rose in the back of her throat, but she swallowed it down. She had to be there for Anna, even if she got hurt in the process.

"Do you think she'll ask to get back together?" She asked tentatively.

"Fuck no, I think he knocked her up and I was the only one who ever cared about her," Anna said. "So of course she's gonna come to me. I don't even - I don't even know if I want to see her again."

"No one's forcing you to, and you don't owe her anything."

"I know."

There was a but, Ruby could sense it. She knew all of Anna's faces, and she looked so conflicted. If she could, she'd have told Anna to forget about her, ignore every plead and call because she deserved so much better. It wasn't that easy though, it never would be. If Lilith asked to see Ruby again, God only knew what she'd say. 

But Anna said nothing more. She stayed on the floor, legs hugged to her chest, until the guards came for final roll call. The lights in their block flickered out. Ruby felt a hand reaching for her own.

"Can I -" Anna thought better of what she was going to say. "I can't be alone right now."

So Ruby slid across, let Anna climb into bed right next to her. She smelled of apples and earth. Ruby could picture the two apple picking in some Vermont orchard instead of stuck in a Kansas prison. They fit together in the single bed, legs locked around each other. It would have been peaceful, if Anna wasn't sobbing into Ruby's chest.

 

"So, are you guys like dating?"

Kaia was a cute kid, but she asked the wrong questions at the wrong time. There was nothing going on between her and Anna, not in the way Ruby wanted it to. Whatever they had though, it was something more than a friendship. since the whole Mary deal, Anna had kinda been walking around half dazed. It was freaking everyone out.

"Don't know."

"How can you not know? Just ask her?" Kaia questioned.

Ruby wanted to spit out it wasn't that simple, but in all fairness she was the one who went to a teenager for dating advice. As far as she knew, Kaia had had a pretty serious girlfriend before she was locked up. What serious meant to a kid, she didn't know.

Kaia had a point though. Maybe if she asked Anna what their deal was, she could finally get a girlfriend. Maybe get laid, who knew. She could also get punched straight in the boob if it turned out Anna didn't actually like her like that. God she sounded like a kid again. Maybe she was right to talk to Kaia.

"I'm scared if I ask her, this might have all just been a game to her, you know?" Ruby said. She looked out over the yard, where all the prisoners had been shoved out for rec time. No one seemed to be having much fun. "I don't know, some girls are just affectionate with their friends, right? So maybe that's all I am to her. I don't want to be."

"Ask her, it's better than not knowing surely."

Kid was three for three. Kaia gave her a look before disappearing, and a second later Anna's voice rang in her ear.

"What were you talking about?"

"Oh, I was just making sure she's fitting in okay," Ruby lied. She was completely fluent in the language of bullshit. "Cassie seems to have taken her in, which is good 'cause lord knows that kid needs some positive role models."

"You've been doing a pretty good job with her," Anna said. "You care about her a lot, it's really sweet. You know how you said I was unselfish? You are too. I know you don't act like it, but I also know that's a front. _Be proud_."

Ruby's heart burst open like a caged bird being let free. She wanted to feel like that forever, even if it meant asking the difficult questions.

"Are we dating?"

Anna blinked. In the few weeks they had been together, Anna's eyes had turned from an icy blue to a soft sea green. The light in them danced as Ruby waited for an answer. Silence had never felt so loud.

"Are we?"

Dumb useless lesbians. Ruby shook her head, almost wanted to laugh but she was one of the dumb useless lesbians involved in it all. While she still had Anna's attention, Ruby pulled her close and kissed her quick. They were in full sight of the yard, someone could see them so they couldn't spark flames like Ruby wanted. Anna's lips on hers were enough.

"I'm sick of crappy relationships, okay? I'm in for the long haul if you are," Ruby whispered, her face an inch away from Anna's.

"Told you that right from the beginning," Anna replied.

Lebannon Minimum Security Prison was a crappy place to call home, but Ruby's family? That was pretty okay. Maybe she had something to thank Lilith for after all.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed it!!
> 
> I'm considering writing more in this verse so give me a sign if you'd want that!
> 
> Hit me up on my tumblr [benevolentsam](https://benevolentsam.tumblr.com) for more ladies content!


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